Rural Supported Employment

Supported Employment is defined as paid work, in integrated settings, with supports necessary to maintain employment. Roughly 40% of the nation's 3,700 supported employment vendors provide services in rural areas of the United States. The vast majority of the over 150,000 people benefitting from supported employment are identified as having a developmental disability (approximately 70%), with about 20% of employees reporting a psychiatric disability, and the remainder having a physical or sensory impairment (RRTC/VCU, 1997; McGaughey, et al., 1994; DiLeo & Langton, 1996).

Supported employees, regardless of geographic area, tend to earn over 45% more in wages than the almost 1,000,000 people with severe disabilities still served in sheltered day programs, and generate an estimated $768 million in wages per year, while working an average of 23.8 hours per week (Coker, Osgood & Clouse, 1995; RRTC/VCU, 1997). Further, Vocational Rehabilitation Status 26 Closures in supported employment cost only $1,255 more than a sheltered employment closure (U.S. Dept. of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, 1994). Combined with the benefits of increased social contact, improved wages, and the dramatic decrease in long-term funding necessary to maintain supported employees, the positive benefit/cost of community employment is apparent.

To date, there is little empirical research available that shows definitive differences between rural and urban supported employment participants, programs, funding, or best practice. The Rural Institute, as a collaborator in the National Supported Employment Consortium headed by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Supported Employment at Virginia Commonwealth University, and through a variety of training-demonstration projects, is beginning to collect data on various aspects of rural supported employment that may well increase participation, funding, and quality outcomes. Still, there is a large reservoir of anecdotal and experiential evidence that points to key issues, barriers, and best practice.

Key Rural Supported Employment Issues

As in urban areas, rural supported employment programs face a myriad of barriers. Systematic needs assessment surveys and focus groups reveal on-going concerns from rural providers and consumers (Griffin, 1995; Griffin, 1997a; Griffin, 1997b). These key issues include:

A perceived lack of jobs and career advancement opportunities
A lack of qualified staff
A lack of adequate funding or funding incentives to increase supported employment
A paucity of staff and consumer training and technical assistance in job development, situational/functional assessment, worksite instructional strategies, natural supports, non-aversive behavioral supports, Social Security Work Incentives, and self-determination
A lack of management and leadership training and technical assistance to support and guide community employment expansion and sheltered program downsizing
A lack of transportation options

In South Dakota, the Vocational Rehabilitation agency has been instrumental in increasing the use of vouchers and micro-vendors for supported employment. This approach allows individuals in small communities to remain in those areas and call upon local friends, family, or service providers for assistance (S.D. Vocational Rehabilitation, 1997).

In Montana, transportation vouchers are proving to be an effective and efficient means of addressing social isolation (Bernier & Seekins, 1996). In various communities, utilizing co-worker car pools, using Social Security Work Incentives such as PASS Plans to underwrite transportation costs, and matching people to jobs of choice within walking distance of their homes are all successful strategies.

In small rural communities, supported employment is being expanded with the use of Social Security Work Incentives. These are being used to provide co-worker support; underwrite community-based training to identify vocational likes and dislikes; provide behavioral change support; pay for tools, transportation, and training; and to purchase employer-valued resources

Such resources might include tools or training or inventory that allows a business to expand or improve. The rationale for this approach is that typical workers come to the job market with exploitable resources: a truck driver owns a truck, a mechanic owns hand tools, a manager owns a college education. People with severe disabilities need exploitable resources as well, and PASS Plans help equalize competition (Hammis, Maxson & Griffin, 1997).

Situational Assessment and Person-Centered Career Planning use is increasing. Traditionally, standardized vocational evaluation has been used, which has very little predictive validity regarding employment potential. Situational assessment and worker profiling, as part of a systematic job match, has environmental validity and allows people the opportunity to explore a variety of possible work options and to personally guide the employment process of their choosing (Condon & Hammis, 1997; Callahan & Nisbet, 1997; Griffin & Hammis, 1996)

"Supported Self-Employment" is being tested and expanded in some of the most remote communities in the West. Relying on the belief that employment can be developed for anyone, anywhere, at anytime, sole proprietorships (e.g. small engine repair) and limited partnerships (e.g. retail sales; stud horse ranching) are being developed in towns as small as 1,200 population. Again, the use of Social Security PASS Plans, and the networking of professionals, friends, and families are proving to be vital ingredients to success (Hammis & Griffin, 1998).

Active Business Councils (ABCs) are also being utilized to increase business and consumer networking. The basic model involves establishing a small council of employers, consumers, and rehabilitation professionals who meet monthly with a highly structured agenda. Here, the business people meet a couple job seekers monthly and individually agree to use their influence and networks to promote employment. In Greeley, Colorado, this approach produced over 50 jobs in one year (Griffin & Sherron, 1996).

There are many more opportunities than barriers to supported employment expansion in rural areas. As Rural Institute Organizational Consultant Roger Shelley says, "there may be fewer jobs in rural areas, but there is still a great deal of work." Three key factors influence the increase in quality supported employment. These include: an organizational philosophy that emphasizes community integration; flexible state funding policies; and strong family support and advocacy (McGaughey, et al., 1994).

References

Bernier, B. & Seekins, T. (1996). Rural Transportation Voucher Program for People with Disabilities: 3 Case Studies. Missoula, MT: The Rural Institute/The University of Montana.
Callahan, M. & Nisbet, J. (1997). The Vocational Profile: An Alternative to Traditional Evaluation. Gautier, MS: Marc Gold Associates & UCPA.
Coker, C., Osgood, M., Clouse, K. (1995). A Comparison of Job Satisfaction & Economic Benefits of Four Different Employment Models for Persons with Disabilities. Menominie, WI: RRTC on Improving Community-based Rehab Programs.
Condon, E. & Hammis, D. (1997) Supported Employment & Systematic Instruction: A Guide for Employment Consultants. Missoula, MT: The Rural Institute/The University of Montana.
DiLeo, D. & Langton, D. (1996). Facing the Future: Best Practices in Supported Employment. St Augustine, FL: TRN.
Griffin, C.C. (1995). Region VIII Training Needs Survey. Greeley, CO: CTAT/UNC.
Griffin, C.C. & Sherron, P. (1996). Finding Jobs for Young People with Disabilities. In Wehman, P. Life Beyond the Classroom. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.
Griffin, C.C. (1997a). Montana Statewide Training Needs Assessment. Missoula, MT: The Rural Institute/The University of Montana.
Griffin, C.C. (1997b). National Rural Supported Employment Focus Group. APSE Conference, Orlando, Florida.
Griffin, C.C. & Hammis, D (1996). Streetwise Guide to Person-Centered Career Planning. Denver: CTAT/Denver Options, Inc.
Hammis, D. & Griffin, C.C. (1998). Employment for Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime. The Advance, 9 (1).
Hammis, D., Maxson, N., Griffin, C.C. (1997). Montana Career Design Initiative Annual Monograph. Missoula, MT: The Rural Institute/The University of Montana.
McGaughey, M., Kiernan, B., McNally, L., Gilmore, D., Keith, G. (1994). Beyond the Workshop: National Perspectives on Integrated Employment. Boston: ICI.
RRTC/VCU, (1997). National Trends in Supported Employment Fact Sheet. Richmond, VA: RRTC Supported Employment.
South Dakota Vocational Rehabilitation (1997). Privatizing the Purchase of Services. Pierre: SD Vocational Rehabilitation.
U.S. Dept. of Education (1994). Selected Work Status at Closure. Washington, D.C.: Rehabilitation Services Administration.

This factsheet was written by Cary Griffin, Director of Training at the Rural Institute. For more information on supported employment, contact him at (406) 243-2458 or cgriffin@selway.umt.edu